Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background and Aim: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), is one of the important health problems for women and the knowledge about its risk factors is considerably significant.

The purpose of the present study is finding a relationship between the mode of delivery and SUI, one year after first delivery.

Patients and Methods: A historical cohort study was performed in Akbarabadi Teaching Hospital,

Tehran, Iran, between March 2006- March 2007. One thousand four hundred primiparaous women who had delivered one year ago entered the study and were compared. They were divided into three groups.

Patients were diagnosed with incontinence by questionnaire. The patients with internal disorders or chronic high  intra-abdominal pressure and urinary infection were excluded from the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. t and Chi² tests were used for comparing the results.

Results: The patients were evaluated in 3 groups. Group 1 or vaginal delivery group (400 cases), group 2 or  elective cesarean section group(600 cases), and third group or  emergency cesarean section group(400 case)were compared. 25 women (1.9%) had SUI, 12 of which (3%) were in the vaginal delivery group, 5 (0.83%) were in the elective cesarean group and 8 cases (2%) were in the emergency cesarean group showing a statistically significant difference (p=0.037). There was no significant difference between women in the 3 groups according to age, maternal weight, doing exercise, occupation, race, reason for cesarean section  and neonatal weight. Mean duration of the second stage of labor was longer in patients with SUI (34± 8.1 min vs 25±9.63 min), showing a statistically significant difference (P=0.000).

Conclusion: Vaginal delivery in the  first pregnancy is a risk factor for SUI  after one year